Workbook final

199 - Enhancing Learning Capabilities of Students, ADRAD, Nepal

ONTACT

Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD)

Ms. Birenda Raj Pokharel

Nepal

+977 985 104 33 99

VERALL GOAL

MISSION

The project seeks to establish and promote the use of the latest ICT and to make it accessible for students with visual

impairments and print disabilities. This shall happen through the free of cost provision of digital books that ensure

learning outcomes of the end-users through the supply of "Android" devices for playback. Further goals are to make

sure to reach the users that mostly need support, are economically deprived, rurally located and enthusiastic when it

comes to the use of technology and to offer a better technology support to improve the learning capabilities of the

students.

HE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED

In Nepal, the Department of Education has equipped schools with computers and libraries across the country, but the

provided ICT has not been adopted to the needs of children with disabilities and there are no fully accessible digital

platforms available in libraries of schools where thousands of students with visual impairments and print disabilities

study. Furthermore, the use of accessible DTBs has also not been introduced by the governments program. The

government of Nepal has equipped schools with Braille books but they are only available for the mandatory subjects

and are not sufficient when it comes to the number of students that would need them. In addition, there is a lack of

knowledge among the end users about the provided devices and so students that are, because of their disabilities and

the lack of support, not able to finish their education drop out of school. The within the project produced books are

seen as a positive development to promote inclusive education and can enable persons with print disabilities to read

content at the same time and at no higher cost as their peers. The members of the project have adopted the modern

system of playback of "Android" devices, produced orientation toolkits, qualified trainers, and engaged them for further

training. Through this project, the collection of talking books or accessible e-text books has grown and they are now

available in libraries at schools. In addition, the publishing houses, who publish the books, have been trained to make

their books in a digital accessible format available. Further, the staff of the project offers appropriate trainings for

persons that have visual impairments so that they can use the assistive technology.